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Hello! Hello fellow busy bees! Time to relax from all the hustle brought by the metro world, looking for a unique hangout place or attraction nearby? A place which may ease all our “out of the country” desires without breaking the bank nor emptying our wallets? Well, I’ve found the right place!

In this travel guide you’ll find the following:

All about Vietnam and Vietnamese Cuisine

Troi Oi Street Food (a quick short intro)

Interiors (How Vietnamese is this place?)

The Kitchen Story (Getting to know the Chefs and How Authentic are the Dishes?)

A Preview of their Dishes (Visit the Restaurant for more!)

How to get there (Directions & Location)

Contact details and social media accounts to follow (For reservations)

Yup! You’ve read it right: Vietnam! Vietnam! Vietnam! Uh huh, this travel guide will lead you straight to one of the newest attractions in Iloilo City! But first here’s a short history of one of the most visited (and instagrammed) country in the online world recently – Vietnam!

Vietnam & Vietnamese

The Vietnamese are descendants of wandering or “nomadic” Mongols from China and migrants also known as drifters from Indonesia. Vietnam makes up the eastern and southern portion of the Indochinese peninsula in Southeast Asia, with the South China Sea along its intact coast.

Vietnamese Food

Vietnamese Food has become popular around the world. In fact foodies, instagrammers, bloggers and social media influencers haven’t stopped raving about it! The two most popular Vietnamese food, pho and spring rolls have recently been reviewed and posted online numerous times already. Out of curiosity I’ve tried digging a little bit deeper. I’ve found out that noodles, fresh vegetables, herbs and rice are ingredients that play a big role in the Vietnamese world. Making their cuisine the healthiest food in the world. I hope you’re loving this new-found hub as much I do!

The Travel Guide

Troi Oi

Vietnam Street food

Last November 20, 2016 Troi Oi launched the first and the only authentic Vietnamese restaurant in Iloilo City. Troi Oi (Pronounced “Choi Oi”) is an expression in Vietnam which means “Oh! my goodness! or OMG!”. The launch was attended by several prominent personalities in the City, which includes the City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and The City Tourism Officer Junel Ann Divinagracia.

The Owners

The first and only Vietnamese restaurant in Iloilo City is owned and managed by husband and wife team Les and Grace Blair. Upon meeting them, I noticed right away how dedicated and passionate they are with their craft, how enthusiastic and devoted when it comes to handling customers as well as their employees. (You guys know how fascinated I am with passionate people, I mean remember? I am a believer that your passion is the best profession!)

I was given a chance to interact with the owners, so I asked them a bit about their goals and vision. Grace said that it’s high time Ilonggos and visitors to Iloilo to get a slice of Vietnamese culture through their delicious cuisine and touches in their interiors. Leslie agrees, adding that their goal is to enhance the eating experience in Iloilo both for locals and tourists.

While waiting for my meal (which was served really fast), I asked some of the servers how the management is.They had nothing but good feedback about them, the servers and even the cashier told me that the owners have the best hearts in town. All employees were treated equal, no ranking at all, everybody’s considered part of a one big happy family, with a strong foundation of discipline and love. I guess this is also the main reason why the smiles projected on each faces at Troi Oi were so genuine, it will keep you coming back over and over again.

Interiors

(How Vietnamese is this place?)

Time for your favorite segment of this blog, the virtual tour! Allow the photos to give you a preview of how Vietnamese this place is!

1st Floor

Artsy Menu on the walls + Vietnamese Decorations

Wall art, lanterns Straight from Vietnam, stools just like the ones at the Vietnamese streets and more!

I swear the lanterns are way more magical in real life. <3

Going up! (Second FLoor)

Notice the Laughing Buddha on your way up! So much good vibes in this place!

The view from the second floor! Isn’t it lovely?

Felt like a kid joining a festival for the first time! Look how big my smile was! Haha!

On your way up, you’ll notice water dolls from Vietnam, displayed on the walls. Here’s a closer look!

Second floor (Indoor)

Outdoor (second floor)

The Place is bright and spacious, best for urgent private meetings and alike.

Comfort Room / Wash Room

This I must say has been the most artistic Wash Room I have ever seen. It nearly looked like my own washroom, complete with all the toiletries one could ever imagine! This place is comparable to a hotel!

The Kitchen Story

The Highly Qualified Chefs

Let’s begin with the Kitchen Story! Join me as I discover how they keep it authentic at the only Vietnamese Restaurant in Iloilo through the eyes of the Chefs.

How Authentic are the Dishes?

Most if not all ingredients are fresh from Vietnam. The Chefs are highly qualified, trained and experienced.

In fact, one of the Chef is Vietnamese. Another fun fact, the famous Fish Sauce which the Chefs are mostly using to add flavor for the dishes came straight from Vietnam. Troi Oi has 2 chefs, namely ChefJoenel Ramos from Negros, Philippines and ChefHung Truong Phi a.k.a ChefKoro from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. Out of curiosity, I asked them more about their life before Troi Oi. Allow me to tell you more about them, beginning with…

Chef Joenel Ramos – According to Chef Joenel, he has been into cooking since he was 10 years old. He’s specialty would be the famous Filipino dish Adobo and Morcon Embotido, but for Troi Oi he considered himself the brain behind the mouthwatering and addictive desserts, specifically the Sticky rice with mango and “Chef Joenel’s Creamy Pudding”. Wondering about how experienced he is as a Chef, he said that he has been cooking for a number of restaurants in Dubai, Cruise Ships and now the only authentic Vietnamese Restaurant in town Troi Oi! To place everything in a numerical format, he considered his experience not less than tested and proven for 10 delicious years.

Chef Koro (Hung Truong Phi)- Chef Koro is a local from Vietnam, specifically he resides in Ho Chi Minh. Chef Koro mentioned that he has 6 years of delightful experience in the kitchen, this includes him cooking for a restaurant named Hoa Tuc a contemporary Vietnamese cuisine in Ho Chi Minh City and has been Coaching young individuals for the Saigon cooking class. He also said that he’s specialty is the famous “Pho” and the Chicken thighs which are also found on the Troi Oi Vietnam Street food menu.

A Preview of their Dishes

(Visit the Restaurant for more!)

(c) Photo from Troi Oi FB Page

Food is very distinct, it gives us the experience of culture and could always top the highlight of any visit to another country. This has been proven by Troi Oi street food. Definitely their dishes are to die for! Honestly I’ve always been conscious of my figure, given the fact my job requires me to project most of the time in front of the camera. This restaurant did not only introduce good food but a healthier way of devouring my favorite dishes without even gaining much weight, than the usual food intake I am currently swimming in.

For most of you, who have been following me for a while now, might have noticed the fact that I’m not that into desserts, but this restaurant has awaken that Dessert baby spirit in me! Honest Review here + Fun fact : I love how they serve pastries, indeed I have to say that it’s one of the many reasons that made me ask myself … “How did I ever survive without Troi Oi?” I swear it’s that good! It’s that Viet-NAMIT!

How to get there?

I haven’t been to Vietnam, but visiting TROI OI Vietnamese Street Foods gave me my first legit experience! Of course I wouldn’t keep this good news all to myself, so here’s a step by step guide on how you can reach this must visit attraction!

Location: Riverside Boardwalk Iloilo City, Philippines

Office Hours: 11 AM -11 PM

Land Mark: Near SmallVille, inside riverside boardwalk, Near the Parking lot

Drop off: Esplanade Diversion Road

From Manila

Book a flight to Iloilo City ( Philippine Airlines & Cebu Pacific flies to and from Iloilo everyday)

From the Airport you can take a cab and ask the driver to take you to Boardwalk Riverside and drop you at Troi Oi (pronounced as Choi Oi) Vietnamese Street foods.

For Locals (From Iloilo)

Taking the Cab: Ask the driver to take you to Boardwalk Riverside and drop you at Troi Oi (pronounced as Choi Oi) Vietnamese Street foods.

Taking the Jeep: Ride the SM City Leganes public jeep and ask the driver to drop you at the diversion road (nearest landmark would be Esplanade / Boardwalk)

From Esplanade you can take a 2-5 min. walk to Troi Oi.

Contact details

For Inquiries and reservations you can Contact Troi Oi Vietnamese Street Food at

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Levy Anne Amosin

Travel x Fashion Blogger & Young CEO
Established in 2016. Hugging Horizons caters Travel & Fashion Trends. The website started as an outlet for my personal travel confessions. A quick bio... I was born in Iloilo, raised in Manila (Philippines) but mostly stays in Hong Kong. My first love is writing next to Travel Photography. I aim to inspire my readers to Travel in style & I do believe that your passion will always be the best profession. With the combination of great photos & good reads my blog site engaged both local and international readers. Today, Hugging Horizons is a Brand magnet to most of my audience. I am continuously Traveling to work with good people to feed my readers & growing number of followers the latest trends about Travel & Fashion industries. I am always up for collaboration, Let's Work together, Contact me @ hugginghorizons@gmail.com